Postal Service working to change, become more efficient

In a recent letter to the editor, Mr. Bob Hart questioned why the U.S. Postal Service has been slow to make changes. I'd like to answer that question and put things in perspective for your readers.

The Postal Service continues to seek meaningful change for greater control over business decisions, including delivery frequency, pricing and products, public policy and workforce flexibility. Under current law, we cannot determine the number of days to deliver mail, regardless of costs or declining revenue.

Remaining viable requires the elimination of several legislatively imposed constraints that hamper our ability to operate efficiently and profitably. These would:

•Enable us to alter frequency of delivery consistent with use of the mail.

•Allow us to close unprofitable post offices.

•Restructure our obligation under a 2006 law to pre-fund retiree health benefits, an obligation not applicable to any other private or government entity.

•Permit us to create and offer products and services beyond mail.

•Assure that arbitrators consider the financial health of the Postal Service when agreement cannot be reached with our labor unions.

•Resolve overfunding of our pension systems.

Legislation has been introduced in Congress to address these issues.

We must have the ability to manage our business and to adapt quickly to the needs of our customers and the marketplace. Our business model must change to reflect the reality of a volatile economy and a communications marketplace that has been undergoing a transformation as profound as anything that has ever come before.

In the midst of financial and regulatory challenges, we achieved record productivity gains in 2010 and a reduction of more than 100,000 career employees and a cost savings of more than $10 billion during the last three years. We cut spending by $3 billion in 2010. We will carefully manage every dollar we spend in the upcoming fiscal year.

As always, service to our customers remains our number one priority. No financial challenge or uncertainty will change that. We will continue to work with Congress and our stakeholders to implement necessary changes to ensure a viable Postal Service for decades to come.

Philip J. Marousi is the acting postmaster for the Allentown Post Office.